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Click here to see The Anvil Spring Season 08
Click here to see The Forge Spring Season 08
Click here to see Haymarket Spring Season 08
Click here to see The Phoenix Season 08
Click here to see The Chesil Theatre beginning of Season 08
Click here to see Theatre Royal Winchester Spring Season 08
The Anvil Season 2008
THE ANVIL BASINGSTOKE APRIL Quick Guide
1-5 Apr The Horrible History - The Terrible Tudors (Call for times)
2-5 Apr The Horrible History - The Vile Victorians (Call for times)
6 Apr Americas Evening 7.00pm
12 Apr Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra 7.45pm
13 Apr Foster and Allen 7.30pm
15 Apr The Basil Brush Show 1.00pm & 4.00pm
18 Apr London Mozart Players 7.45pm
19 Apr Berkshire Maestros
20 Apr Basingstoke Male Voice Choir 7.30pm
24 Apr The Traviata 7.30pm
25 Apr Madame Butterfly 7.30pm
27 Apr Pam Ann 8.00pm
29 Apr Hal Ketchum 7.45pm
30 Apr Recapturing The Banjo
Anvil Arts Summer Season 2008 at
The Anvil – April & May events
There is plenty going on at The Anvil throughout the Summer Season. April kicks off with Horrible Histories, from Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5, with shows covering The Terrible Tudors or The Vile Victorians, including amazing Bogglevision special effects.
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performs a programme of Dvorak, Rachmaninov and Sibelius on Saturday 12, conducted by Petri Sakari and joined by pianist Yevgeny Sudbin.
Foster and Allen perform a concert to celebrate the release of their new album At The Movies on Sunday 13 April.
Basil Brush brings his show Basil Of The Caribbean to The Anvil on Tuesday 15 to keep the children amused during the school holidays.
On Wednesday 16 April, Mavis Staples and Jhelisa join forces for a great evening of vocal magic. Mavis Staples sings gospel, folk, soul and blues while Jhelisa is one of the brightest soul jazz stars singing at the moment.
The London Mozart Players are joined by violinist and conductor Tasmin Little on Friday 18, with a programme of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven.
Ellen Kent and Opera International also return to The Anvil, with La Traviata on Thursday 24 April and Madama Butterfly on Friday 25. Both operas will be performed by the Ukranian National Opera of Odessa.
Caroline Reid brings her new show to The Anvil on Sunday 27 – Pam Ann: Terror At 41,000 Feet. She can name Cher, Elton John and Madonna as fans, so don’t miss this opportunity of ‘flying’ with the A-list air-hostess.
Award-winning Texan singer-songwriter Hal Ketchum appears on Tuesday 29 April. Hal blazed onto the country scene in the early 90s when his first single Small Town Saturday Night shot to number one on the country charts. With 15 top ten hits, including Past the Point of Rescue, and over four million records sold, make sure you catch this fine country vocal stylist in Basingstoke.
April finishes with Recapturing The Banjo on Wednesday 30, featuring Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Otis Taylor and Don Vappie, whose new album will be released this month. They are some of the biggest names on the blues scene who have also researched the African and American roots of their music, bringing the banjo back to a level prominence in the US today.
Magic – A Kind Of Queen return to The Anvil on Thursday 1 May. Back on tour with a bigger line-up, their inique sound will have even more energy and explosive power than ever before.
The Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg performs a programme of Mozart on Friday 2 May, conducted by Ivor Bolton and joined by Bernhard Krabatsch on flute and Johannes Hinterholzer on horn. The following week, the Razumovsky Ensemble, made up of principal players from many of the great British and European orchestra, perform Mozart and Schubert on Wednesday 7. And the Russian State Symphony Orchestra appears on Thursday 8, conducted by Mark Gorenstein with pianist Dmitri Alexeev with a programme of Tchaikovsky, Scriabin and Rachmaninov.
Thriller Live returns on Friday 9 with a brand new show to celebrate the music of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, featuring a West End cast of performers, full company of singers, live band and choir.
One of Britain’s most exciting jazz bands, Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen team up with blues and pop legend Paul Jones for a new show on Wednesday 21 May.
Glitz Blitz and 70s Hitz is a spectacular celebration of the best of British glam rock on Thursday 22 May with one amazing bill of Showaddywaddy, Sweet and The Rubettes.
Comedian Tim Vine brings his show Punslinger to The Anvil on Friday 23 May. Then Pop Idol’s Zoe Birkett, along with a cast of talented West End performers perform a concert spectacular West End Rocks on Saturday 24.
Great Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman returns to The Anvil on Sunday 25 in an appearance outside London.
The Philharmonia Orchestra perform Berlioz, Brahms and Dvorak on Wednesday 28 May conducted by Sir Andrew Davis with pianist Boris Berezovsky.
Comedienne Jenny Eclair brings her new show Because I Forgot To Get A Pension to The Anvil on Saturday 31 with lots of brand new material on motherhood, sausages, the etiquette of alcohol and clothes rage.
For information on all the shows at The Anvil or at other Anvil Arts venues call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244. Or use the Anvil Arts website www.anvilarts.org.uk or the ticket fax 01256 366900.
The Forge 2008 Season
THE FORGE BASINGSTOKE APRIL Quick Guide
13 Apr Chris Difford and Boo Hewerdine 7.45pm
17 Apr Lucy Porter 8.00pm
26 Apr Mawkin: Causley 8.00pm
30 Apr Julian Joseph Trio 8pm
Anvil Arts Summer Season 2008 at
The Forge April - June
Anvil Arts has a packed programme in The Forge during the summer season. From cutting edge comedy to a classical quartet, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy.
Two great musicians and songwriters Chris Difford and Boo Hewerdine join forces on Sunday 13 April. With great back catalogues of songs from days with Squeeze and The Bible respectively, the performance is sure to highlight a distinctive and personal take on modern life.
Comedienne Lucy Porter appears on Thursday 17 April when she invites you to her love-in. She’ll examine every aspect of that crazy little thing called love, from romantic, through familial to platonic.
On Saturday 26 April, Mawkin:Causley appear. With their well-received album The Fair Essex making waves in the folk world, the fast-rising band Mawkin have teamed up with acclaimed young folk singer from Devon Jim Causley – the perfect foil for their cleverly textured tunes and energetic performances.
The Julian Joseph Trio appear on Wednesday 30 April. Virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster, Julian Joseph is a major figure in jazz. Acclaimed by critics and audiences the world over, he never fails to inspire with his mastery of the keyboard and his seemingly limitless scope of creative imagination.
The Adriano Adewale Group brings the sounds of Nigeria, Angola and Brazil to The Forge on Thursday 1 May. Infused with contemporary European classical and jazz styles, percussionist and composer Adriano Adewale’s music is a truly global fusion of musical influences. His group includes Australian Nathan Thomson on double bass and flute, Senegalese Kadialy Kouyate on kora and vocals, and Brazilian Marcelo Andrade on flute, sax and violin.
On Tuesday 6 May, the popular singer-songwriter Clive Gregson returns to Basingstoke. Having worked with Eddi Reader, Christine Collister, Richard Thompson and Nanci Grifftih among others, and with a new CD out later in the year, he thankfully shows no signs of slowing down.
Also showing no signs of slowing down is Julie Felix on Wednesday 21 May. More than a folk singer, Julie’s music resists labels and boundaries. Whether performing her own material or classics by others, her rich voice and natural charm continue to win over people around the world.
The Mor Karbasi Band appear on Saturday 24 May. Mor Kabasi’s songs explore an ancient musical songline of culture and history. Singing in Spanish, Hebrew and the almost forgotten language of Ladino, she brings to life classic songs from her Jewish heritage. Flavours of flamenco and Moroccan music make an irresistible Middle Eastern melting pot sure to enchant.
One of the country’s most exciting young quartets, The Brodowski Quartet play a programme of Mozart, Bartok and Schubert on Saturday 31 May, staged with the audience on three sides, as in Schubert’s time, for a fascinating musical experience. The Quartet was recently selected for the prestigious Park Lane Group Young Artists concerts this year.
Steve Tilston, one of the UK’s most celebrated song-smiths, will be in The Forge on Wednesday 4 June. Widely recognised within the world of folk and contemporary music, the words, arrangements and subtle but quite superb guitar playing could be no one else.
On Thursday 5 June, Hattie Hayridge and Norman Lovett appear in Double Header. Both starred in the incredibly popular cult TV series Red Dwarf. 2008 is the twentieth anniversary of the programme and, in celebration, Hattie and Norman come together on stage for the very first time, creating a unique comedy evening. Although the show will feature their own inimitable stand up routines, they will also discuss their association with the popular TV show and fans will be able to ask them questions related to everything that is Red Dwarf.
Orkney musician Kris Drever appears on Thursday 12 June. Kris has played with Kate Rusby, John McCusker and many others as well as his own trio Lau. He also recorded a highly regarded solo debut album Black Water in 2006. His many talents have made him one of the most in demand musicians around, so don’t miss this performance.
Lucy Kaplansky has a gift for leading listeners straight to the heart of her songs and her powerful, emotion-packed melodies and lyrics are beautifully expressed by her velvet-lined voice in the tradition of Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. Make sure you see her at The Forge on Friday 13 June.
Don’t miss Bella Hardy on Friday 20 June. Bella is one of the most acclaimed young singers in the country; her voice entwines with her own fiddle accompaniment to breathtaking effect, and her debut album Night Visiting has been creating a lot of excitement. For this performance in Basingstoke, she is joined by Chris Sherburn from Last Night’s Fun.
For information on all the shows at The Forge or at other Anvil Arts venues call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244. Or use the Anvil Arts website www.anvilarts.org.uk or the ticket fax 01256 366900.
Haymarket 2008 Season
THE HAYMARKET BASINGSTOKE Quick Guide
2 Apr Kids Rock 7.30pm
3 Apr The Wild Party 7.30pm
4 Apr Flamenco Express 7.30pm
15-19 Apr Elephant 7.00pm & 2.00pm except Tues
23-24 Apr Below Zero 2.00pm & 7.30pm Wed
24-25 Apr The Elephant Man 7.30pm
26-27 Apr Rock The Street And Disco Till You Pop 7.15pm
Anvil Arts Summer Season 2008 at
The Haymarket April - July
Anvil Arts is delighted to announce that after a fantastic start to its spring season, there is plenty for all tastes at The Haymarket right through till the August break.
The stunning Elephant is on from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 April. This colourful and vibrant show features a multi-talented company of actors, dancers, puppeteers, storytellers and musicians including incredible life-size elephants operated by three performers. It follows the story of Chief Zanenvula, a good man and respected by his tribe, who has just died and has been forbidden entry to heaven. He calls on his ancestors to find the answer and they tell him “Go back and look at your past”. And so we join the Chief as he looks back over his life, meet the people he knew and see the choices he made. Eventually he realises how he has offended the spirit of Africa and how he may be able to redeem himself. Elephant is a visual feast for all the family celebrating universal themes of forgiveness and humanity, from Dodgy Clutch in association with The Market Theatre of Johannesburg and Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Basingstoke based Proteus Theatre Company, which recently celebrated 25 years of producing professional theatre, present two productions exploring the current obsessions with beauty, celebrity and body image. Below Zero, on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 April, in development with Anvil Arts, Greenwich Theatre, Andover College and Test Valley Borough Council, is all about Marta and Michael, their chance encounter in a hospital and the fantasy world they create. The Elephant Man, on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 April, is the moving, poetic and ultimately uplifting story of the life of John Merrick.
From Tuesday 6 to Saturday 10 May, don’t miss Laurel and Hardy, a New Wolsey Theatre and Royal and Derngate Theatres co-production in association with Anvil Arts. Written by Tom McGrath and directed by Peter Rowe, the production chronicles the early struggles, the glory years and the slow decline of Stan and Ollie. This affectionate, fascinating and very, very funny play looks at the real people beneath the bowler hats. The darker side of the movie business is here but so too is their warm and complex relationship and their timeless comedy. Some of the greatest slapstick routines are brilliantly re-created live in a play all comedy fans will relish.
Then from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 May, see Spies, a Theatre Alibi and Oxford Playhouse co-production based on the novel by Michael Frayn. Spies is a bittersweet evocation of childhood with a gripping mystery at its heart. Set during the Second World War in a quiet suburban cul-de-sac where gardens – and dark secrets – lie behind neatly trimmed privet hedges, Stephen and his friend Keith play at detectives. But the game changes gear when Keith announces that his own mother is a German spy. The hunt is on in deadly earnest and nothing will ever be the same again.
Don’t miss Abigail’s Party from Wednesday 4 to Saturday 7 June. In her suburban living room, Beverly prepares for the arrival of her guests. She and husband Laurence will play host to neighbours Angela, Tony and Sue. As the alcohol flows and the ‘nibbles’ are handed around, Mike Leigh’s achingly funny examination of suburban life begins to bite…Abigail’s Party was first produced at Hampstead Theatre in 1977, with the role of Beverly immortalized by Alison Steadman. A record sixteen million people watched its broadcast as Play For Today, underlining its status as a true modern classic and national treasure.
Dick Barton – Special Agent, an Oldham Coliseum production in association with Anvil Arts and Harrogate Theatre, is at The Haymarket from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 21 June. Before Bond, there was Barton! There are plenty of songs, spies and silliness in this rapid-fire, tongue-in-cheek return of one of Britain’s most British secret agents. Arch-villain Baron Scarheart, head of EFIL – Evil Foreigners In London (Boo! Hiss!) and his treacherous hench-woman Mari Heartburn (Boo! Hiss!) have a plan to bring the nation to its knees. Enter Dick Barton (Hooray!) and his trusty sidekicks Snowy and Jack. The show’s knockabout heroics and daring high-jinks are guaranteed to get the pulse racing, making Phil Wilmott’s hilarious comedy musical a must for all ages.
Later in June, Watershed Productions and Polka Theatre present Jacqueline Wilson’s Secrets from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28. India lives in a large, luxurious house. She seems to have it all but her parents are so busy worrying about themselves, she thinks they’ve forgotten about her. Treasure’s staying on the local estate with her wonderful Nan. She really doesn’t want to go back to live with Mum, not while Mum’s new man is there. A chance meeting sparks a great friendship between the girls. They both escape from their problems by writing diaries, inspired by their heroine Anne Frank. But when secrets start jumping out of the page and into real life, Treasure and India find themselves in deep trouble. The production is suitable for children aged 9 years and upwards.
From Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 July, Hannah Waterman stars in Strangers On A Train by Craig Warner, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith – the author of The Talented Mr Ripley. This powerful and compelling psychological thriller, which was famously filmed by Alfred Hitchcock, perfectly captures a growing sense of claustrophobic terror. Two young men, Guy Haines and Charlie Bruno, meet on a train. The two travellers speculate upon what it would be like to commit the perfect murder. With a silver tongue Bruno sets up an ‘unwanted’ trade-off whereby he will murder Guy’s errant wife in return for Guy murdering Bruno’s father - the perfect crime, with neither murderer knowing his victim. The innocent Guy doesn’t realise that this casual encounter is deadly serious and is dragged into a downward spiral of nightmarish control and sinister murder plots when Bruno completes his part of the casual bargain and hounds Guy to round the murder circle. Directed by Bruce James, this brand new production stars Hannah Waterman. Daughter of Dennis Waterman, Hannah will be best known for her four year stint as Laura Beale in EastEnders and winning the BBC’s The Two Of Us singing alongside Marti Pellow.
For information on all the shows at The Haymarket or at other Anvil Arts venues call the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244. Or use the Anvil Arts website www.anvilarts.org.uk or the ticket fax 01256 366900.
THE PHOENIX WINTER SEASON 2007
Friday 23rd November at 8pm The Otis B Driftwood Comedy Jazz Show Band This band of distinguished lunatics provide a gleeful mix of jazz, latin and comedy sketches and songs delivered with style, fun and ridiculous costumes. For jazz enthusiasts, their jazz playing is top class covering traditional, mainstream, swing, latin, smooth and lively. Tickets £8 (£6 concessions)
Friday 30th November at 8pm
Forest Forge present The Smith Family Panto
Or Sleeping Mother Wittington in Boots! In this hilarious ‘Billy Liar’ style Christmas fantasy, out of work actor Cliff Smith lets his imagination draw him into the crazy world of pantomime. Live music, comedy and a romantic story combine in this modern fable for the whole family.
Tickets £8 (£6 concessions)
Friday 7th December at 8pm
Michael Lunts and Susan Flannery present More Tea Vicar
An intimate journey through Betjeman’s England with the songs and satire of Noel Coward, Joyce Grenfell, Ivor Novello and other great English songsmiths. A delicious concoction of sophisticated entertainment, a nostalgic and humorous evocation of Middle England.
Tickets £8 (£6 concessions)
Friday 14th December at 8pm
Proteus present Beauty And The Beast
This is a classic tale of magical transformation and the power of true love. An enchanted castle where nothing is quite as it seems, a girl fulfils a terrible promise, and echoes abound of the beast within. Beautiful, Exciting, funny and heartwarming, this show mixes multi-media, music and circus techiniques.
Tickets £8 (£6 concessions)
Friday 18th, Saturday 19th, Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Saturday 26th January at 7.30 pm (matinees on 19th and 26th at 2.30 pm)
The Phoenix Players present Robinson Crusoe & The Pirates
A traditional panto but with a nautical, swashbuckling theme and exotic locations! With a dame answering to Margarita Jucilita and characters called Cut-Throat, Skull Duggery, Cross-Bones and Nutty Nick, you can’t fail to have a rip-roaring adventure for all the family.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets £8 (£6 concessions)
For further information visit the website www.phoenixarts.co.uk
For ticket bookings call 01420 472664 or email: tickets@phoenixarts.co.uk
The Chesil Theatre beginning of 2008 season
February 4th - 9th 2008 7.45pm
There is no escape from Gregor's nightmare world
Metamorphosis
Adapted by David Farr and Gisli Orn Gardarsson based on the story by Franz Kafka
Directed by Flavia Bateson
Gregor Samsa wakes one morning to find he has changed. The reality dawns that he is unavoidably changing - into an insect. Gregor is worried. He is the main breadwinner for his rapacious family. How can he earn a living as a salesman in his new state? How will his parents react?
This adaptation of Kafka's enigmatic tale explores the treatment of those who are different, their lives, their destinies, the isolation they feel and how they are treated by all those around them.
The Chesil at the Theatre Royal
April 2nd - 5th 2008
A classic evergreen farce of impersonation, confusions and mistaken identity
Charley’s Aunt
By Brandon Thomas
Directed by Tom Williams
Theatre Royal
Evenings 7.30pm Matinee 2.30 Saturday 5th
Charley and Jack, undergraduates at Oxford University, use the imminent arrival of Charley's aunt from Brazil “where the nuts come from” as an excuse to invite Kitty and Amy, their sweethearts, to lunch in Jack's college rooms. When the aunt fails to materialise, the pair persuade a fellow student, and aspiring thespian, Lord Fancourt Babberley, to impersonate her - with hilarious consequences.
Tickets from £10 available from Theatre Royal Winchester Box, Office: Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB. Telephone 01962 840440 email boxoffice@theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk Credit cards accepted.
Standard Theatre Royal concessions and party rates available
May 19th - 24th 2008 7.45pm
Disguise, deception, subterfuge and love; an unmissable theatrical treat.
Nobody’s Perfect
By Simon Williams
Directed by Malcolm Brown
Myrtle has won a romantic fiction competition for women writers being run by feminist publishing house Love Is All Around.
The only problem is, Myrtle is really Leonard, divorced statistician and single parent. Despite his efforts of evasion, in order to claim the prize of a £15,000 publishing contract, Myrtle has to meet Harriet the publisher! Increasingly desperate, Leonard pretends to be his non-existent old Aunt Myrtle, but he fails to let his father and daughter in on the secret and his outrageous masquerade unleashes an unstoppable chain of events.
July 14th - 19th 2008 7.45pm
A moving and often comic account of the true lives of Restoration actresses
Playhouse Creatures
by April de Angelis
Directed by Sue Hake
1669 - a bawdy and troublesome time and the theatres have just re-opened after seventeen years of suppression under the Puritans, encouraging a great upsurge in dramatic writing. Of vital importance to the development of drama was the emergence of the first actresses upon the English stage.
Playhouse Creatures takes five famous figures - Nell Gwynne, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton - and gives us a fascinating look at the precarious lot of actresses at that time.
For plays at the Chesil Tickets from £7 are available three weeks before the first performance from:
Theatre Royal Winchester box office
Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB
Tel: 01962 840440
Email:boxoffice@theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk
Up to three weeks before a show Chesil Theatre Ticket Club members may buy any number of tickets at the reduced members’ price.
To become a member of Chesil Theatre, call 023 8025 5189. For more details visit the Theatre’s website at www.chesiltheatre.org.uk
A Glorious Spring 2008 at Theatre Royal Winchester
Theatre Royal Winchester launches a glorious season of drama for spring 08, with everything from Shakespeare through to opera, satire , comic drama and stand-up.
Comedy-lovers can look forward to Andy Parsons (27 Mar), one of Britain’s foremost funnymen and lynchpin of BBC2’s Mock the Week, and Scotland’s finest, Frankie Boyle (3 Feb), who embarks on his first national tour.
Music comes in all its guises. Fairport Convention (7 Feb), the legendary originators of British folk, takes to the stage in its original line-up with an exciting mix of the old and the new.
The wonderful Opera della Luna presents its colourful production of The Mikado (22-26 Jan), a glamorous, glorious version , set in the zany world of modern fashion houses, that still remains true to the spirit of Gilbert & Sullivan.
The Mikado
Presented by Opera della Luna
Opera della Luna makes a welcome return to Theatre Royal Winchester with its colourful and vibrant production of The Mikado. This inventive company remains faithful to the spirit and fun of Gilbert and Sullivan whilst bringing a wholly new and effective slant to this comic opera.
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Their Mikado is set in the zany, flashy world of modern fashion houses. With costumes inspired by Versace and Jean-Paul Gaultier, it promises a riot of gorgeous and bizarre creations, with sequins, stunning gowns, glamour, glorious singing and, of course, the company’s inimitable brand of mad-cap humour.
Even the most hardened traditionalists will be delighted by the verve and visual splendour of this performance. The Mikado, which has been delighting audiences for over 100 years is given new life by the inspired Opera della Luna. The cast includes G & S specialists Simon Butterkiss as Ko-Ko and Ian Beasley as The Mikado.
The Mikado is playing at Theatre Royal Winchester from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 January at 7.30pm (matinees Wednesday and Saturday 2.30pm). Tickets cost £6.00 (Thurs, Fri and Sat), £15.00 (Tues and Wed) and £10.00 (matinees). For further information or to book tickets please call the box office on 01962 844600 or visit www.theatre-royal-winchester.co.uk
For fans of the big band sound, The Pasadena Roof Orchestra ( 15 Feb) will raise the roof with their infectious brand of swing and hot dance music, that has been delighting audiences all over the world for over thirty years.
General Sir Mike Jackson (3 Feb) talks about his career and the many events, on and off the battle scene, that have influenced it, as his autobiography hits bookshelves . His career in the British Army has spanned almost 45 years and his tough-talking, uncompromising style has won him many admirers. As part of the evening he will take questions from the audience about his remarkable life.
Parenthood may be a drama, but Mum’s the Word (25-26 Feb) will help you laugh at its trials and tribulations. This brutally honest and wickedly funny show takes a hysterical look at children and the overwhelming effect they have on your life. If you are a mother or a father (or even loosely related to one), this show will touch you and make you laugh out loud.
For a taste of deliciously dark comedy, The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband (4-8 Mar) will have you laughing and squirming in the aisles, as this story of a jilted wife, unfolds with toe-curling black humour. This Theatre Royal Winchester production dishes up excellent drama with a generous helping of rich humour.
There will be classic tales to keep children entertained this spring. The wonderful Theatre of Widdershins presents The Elves and the Shoemaker (3 Feb), the story of a struggling cobbler and craftsman, performed using magical puppets and simple dialogue, and Raymond Briggs’s Fungus the Bogeyman (8-12 Apr) hits the stage in deliciously disgusting form. On the Trail of the Countback Kid brings Key Stage 2 maths to the stage in a fun and imaginative way.
The Elves and the Shoemaker.
Presented by Theatre of Widdershins.
Inspired by the Ladybird children’s book, Theatre of Widdershins brings another classic fable to the stage for 3 to 9 year olds using magical puppets, original music and the simplest of dialogue. The Elves and the Shoemaker is a well-loved tale with a modern twist and the perfect first theatre piece for young children.
Elvis Schumacher, cobbler and craftsman, has worked all his life creating the most beautiful footwear. But now he has hit hard times. Everyone is buying boring shoes from the evil businessman Bunyan Sole-less. Time is running out for Elvis. With only one piece of leather left and Bunyan’s factory growing.…can anyone help him?
With the use of charming puppets, clever design and captivating music, this is a performance that the whole family will enjoy.
Running time 55 minutes.
Theatre of Widdershins last delighted Winchester audiences with The Three Billy Goats Gruff and other Furry Tales at last summer’s Hat Fair and enjoys a reputation for producing first rate children’s theatre.
Dance from around the world makes an impact this spring as Tavaziva Dance’s six outstanding dancers present Chatsva - Explosion (6 Feb), a high octane performance which explores African dance traditions within a Western contemporary style. Drama and dance combine to spectacular effect in The Wedding Dance (28 Feb-1 Mar), a passionate tale about a Cuban immigrant , who uses his talent for the most passionate dance of them all, the salsa, to seduce and betray those around him.
Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (18-22 Mar) is presented by Northern Broadsides, one of the best-loved champions of the Bard’s works. They bring warmth, charisma and energy to this timeless romantic tragedy. Or for those who like their Shakespeare racy and irreverent, look no further than The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (28-29 Mar), presenting 37 plays in 97 minutes. Take a look at Hamlet performed forwards, backwards and sideways, Titus Andronicus as a galloping gourmet and a rap Othello.
A Spring Season of Shakespeare
Students and lovers of Shakespeare have will find a full season of comedy and tragedy at Theatre Royal Winchester this spring, with three different companies presenting some of the Bard’s most well-loved work .
The season opens with The Merchant of Venice (9-12 Jan) by Winchester repertory company Tribe Theatre. This classic tale of romance entwined with mortal vengeance is given a dark and lavish gothic staging. Original music also accompanies the production, which promises to launch the new season with both passion and contention.
Meon Valley Players, who have delighted audiences with their excellent open air productions, present A Midsummer Night’s Dream (19 Jan). This is a ‘dry revival’ of their July 2007 performance, which, despite the wettest week of the year, played to an audience of over 700. Their ‘Dream’ is set in 1950s England, a period of transition and paradox, of colour and experimentation , rock music, Teddy boys and Buddy Holly, bringing a fresh slant and vitality to this favourite comedy.
Romeo and Juliet (18-22 Mar), Shakespeare’s heart-rending love story of tragic proportions, is presented with passion and tenderness by Northern Broadsides. As one of the best-loved champions of Shakespeare’s work, this company brings warmth, charisma and energy to this timeless tale. There will be a post-show discussion after the show on 20 March, allowing interested audience members to come closer to the concepts behind the staging of this production.
For those who like their Shakespeare racy and irreverent, look no further than The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (28-29 Mar), presenting 37 plays in 97 minutes. Take a look at Hamlet performed forwards, backwards and sideways, Titus Andronicus as a galloping gourmet and a rap Othello. The world’s greatest bard busters show that there is no abridgement too far.
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